Onions
by L.A.D. CORP. iNC
Summary: He didn’t have to be a genius to figure out why there were always onions in his food. Naruto xover Now with Chapter 4 "Lemon": NO, NOT THAT KIND OF LEMON, OKAY. Kagome's doing better, and while he's glad, he finds his life is getting increasingly worse.
1. Onions

**Disclaimer**: I do not, nor claim to, own the characters of Inuyasha or Naruto. This fanfic does not earn me any monetary profit or recognition. It was written for the simple purpose of entertainment.

**A/N**: Wow, it's been a while since I've been here. Just a short one-shot consisting of Shikamaru/Kagome snapshots. Please Read, Review, and Enjoy!

L

**Onions**

"Here!"

A delicately bundled bento was shoved unceremoniously into his hands but he paid it no mind, more interested in the misty-eyed young woman that stood before him.

"What happened to you?"

Kagome smiled uncertainly.

"What do you mean?"

Biting back a frown, Shikamaru peered steadily into her wide blue eyes and noted the slight redness that rimmed them.

"Never mind," he muttered sullenly.

He ignored her shout at him as he turned and sauntered lazily to the academy, recalling her words only after he undid the knot of pinkish-peach fabric printed with bright red cherries and pried open the lid to reveal the lunch she packed for him.

_It was only the onions._

* * *

"How'd you get in my kitchen?"

Not that he was really perturbed by her appearance.

"The door was unlocked," Kagome chirped cheerfully.

"Right," he drawled, clearly not believing her.

"Of course I am."

He left her to her cooking, tactfully not mentioning the tears that were escaping from her.

"It's only the onions!" she called after him.

Shikamaru glanced over his shoulder and, to emphasize her point, Kagome gestured the knife she was using at the pile of diced onions on the cutting board.

"Right," he muttered again with a snort.

* * *

One sniff of the breakfast omelet he was served and he was able to cut her off before she could defend her puffy eyes.

"I know: it was only the onions."

* * *

It looked like a storm cloud was following her wherever she went. Shikamaru watched her approach him out of the corners of his eyes, never showing that he was, however, aware of her presence…until, that was, something collided with the side of his head.

"Eat!" she commanded, a furrow creasing her brow, "Then…"

Her entire demeanor seemed to wilt as she sat down behind him and laid her face against his reassuring warmth, thoroughly hidden from view.

"…let me borrow your back, okay?"

He obediently unfolded the cloth napkin that enclosed the rice ball and took a tentative bite, not all too surprised to find it stuffed with an onion and salmon mixture when he heard a few muffled sobs and felt his shirt cling to his skin from the collecting moisture.

"What will it take for the onions to stop making you cry?"

"I don't know," Kagome choked out hopelessly, "I wish I did, I so wish I did…"

* * *

He hesitantly sat down at the dinner table and gazed cautiously up at Kagome as she set his food before him: a bowl of rice, a bowl of soup, a plate of grilled mackerel and pickles…

"You made a lot," he commented casually.

"Someone had to feed you," was her watery retort.

There was a pause in which she seemed to realize her slip in composure, prompting her to hurriedly open her mouth to cover it up only to have Shikamaru point out that there weren't any onions in the meal tonight.

* * *

She found that someone had beaten her to the kitchen.

"What are you doing, Shikamaru?"

He sent her a dry look.

"I think those onions made you cry yourself blind."

Kagome glared petulantly, "Since when did you cook?"

"Since I threw away all your onions."

He had rather expected that she'd simply go out and buy more anyway, but one meal in which she wouldn't have to eat alone something she had cooked for two, was enough for today.

"St-stupid Shikamaru," she sniffled, watching him continue slicing daikon for stew, "It wasn't the damn onions okay?!"

"I know," he replied calmly.

"Then why'd you have to throw them away, why'd you have to—"

"Because," Shikamaru turned to her, deadly serious, "it's not a good excuse to cry. They're only vegetables."

"Well what was I supposed to do?! Run to you every time he doesn't come home for dinner?! Run to you every morning I wake up and find that he's not there, didn't even come home at night?! Run to you every time he calls during the day to blow off some plan we had for later?!"

"Sure," he said, resuming the tending of his stew, "my back's all yours."

"You're such an idiot," she whimpered.

Unable to help herself, Kagome walked up behind her friend, pressed her face into the comfort of his back, and wept.

Shikamaru began gently humming something his mother used to when she cooked once he felt her hands clutch his shirt tightly, relieved at her reaction and mentally swearing retribution on her wayward boyfriend.


	2. Sugared Violets Topped Tarts

**Disclaimer**: I do not, nor claim to, own the characters of Inuyasha or Naruto. This fanfic does not earn me any monetary profit or recognition. It was written for the simple purpose of entertainment.

**A/N**: Hey everyone! I had meant Onions to have been a one-shot but due all your wonderful and lovely reviews, I decided to add another chapter. This one is much more light-hearted, hope that doesn't disappoint all of you. Please Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Special thanks to: **history-is-not-always-pretty** (heehee, lookie that, I did!), **Kurai Mori** (the snapshots in this installment have lengthened, but I hope they are still effective), **4get me not** (yes, do jump him, I think Shikamaru's too subtle to), **Ayjah**, **Gothic Lust**, **Shiroi no Yume**, **LM Kitsune**, **WhiteDemoness11** (glad I was unexpected, it's what I strive to be), **Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami** (yes, they are just too cute X3 a happier note on this, I didn't have the heart to leave Kagome, even with Shika), **cowgirlkitten2000**, and **Kagome Higurashi-Uzumaki**.

L

**Sugared Violet Topped Tarts**

"It's only temporary, I swear! Only until I find a place of my own," she insisted.

She fidgeted uncomfortably as she watched Shikamaru help her lug a couple suitcases into his home.

"Sure," he shrugged as best he could with the baggage he carried, "Stay as long as you need."

"It's not like I planned ahead, I really should have," Kagome continued to babble obliviously, "I was just so angry! I mean, it's one thing to vanish and do hell knows what, but to have the nerve to bring her back to our —no, his, now— place, while I was still there!"

Shikamaru stilled at her words, hearing her growl in frustration in the background. At least she wasn't crying…yet.

"You have to let me help around the house!" she suddenly added, interrupting her own tirade, "I can't just live here for nothing."

He quirked an eyebrow at the abrupt change in topic. He didn't like that her eyes were perhaps a little too bright, that she was trying a little too hard to sound like her normal self.

"Ah! I'll go bake you dessert!" she nodded enthusiastically, not noticing his distracted gaze, "You still have any sugared violets?"

* * *

He remained stationed outside the kitchen the entire duration of her baking frenzy with his back against the wall, hearing the occasional sniff or muffled coughs from suppressed sobs.

"Shikamaru! You're out of sugared violets!"

The clattering of random pans and utensils grew louder. He sighed, wishing she'd just come out to cry into his back already instead of trying to hide her tears behind the ruckus she was raising. Her emotions caught up to her when her hands weren't kept busy.

* * *

"What's all that?"

Kagome peered into the giant paper bag he set on the kitchen counter and promptly wrinkled her nose.

"What could you possibly want with all that garlic?! You must have bought out the whole store!"

"And the store next to it," Shikamaru answered calmly, perhaps a tad smug, "Mashed potatoes are good with garlic. Roasted garlic. Lots of it."

He rummaged through his cupboards while Kagome poked at the bulbs in disgust.

"We'll never get the smell out of your place if you cook it all in one go; we might have to resort to burning it down."

_I'm counting on it._ Shikamaru thought, a slightly sinister smirk twisting his lips.

"By the way, did you get more sugared violets?"

* * *

Kagome balked.

"Oh. My. God."

Shikamaru glanced up from his lesson plan and followed her gaze.

"Oh, those," he turned back to his preparations, clearly nowhere near as disturbed as his friend, "They smell nice…and they help me relax."

"Nice?!" she accused, "Relax?! What kind of guy are you?!"

He narrowed his eyes at her.

"A very gay one; now leave my candles alone."

Her eyes continued to rake over the immense collection of aromatic candles, taking in the myriad of colors, sizes, and scents before picking up a dark purple one unexpectedly.

"I can't believe you have one that smells like sugared violets!"

* * *

They were out of black pepper. Again.

"Honestly, what have you been doing? Squirreling it all away whenever I buy more?" she asked crossly, glowering in exasperation at his laid-back form.

He blinked innocently.

"And what have you been doing, squirreling away all my sugared violets?"

* * *

"I've got your order," Ino announced the second the door creaked open, a sly smile toying across her lips, "Man, you really go all out. So? How dare you hold out on me?!"

When Shikamaru made no move to respond, the blonde kunoichi frowned in impatience.

"Oh come on! You can't deny it you know, not after you placed such a big order! Who is she? Do I know her?"

He only signed for the thousand yellow daisies and casually plucked the container of sugared violets from her hands, ignoring her indignant gasp when he mutely gestured for her to bring the flowers out back to the patio.

* * *

"What're you baking? Smells sweet."

Shikamaru met her curious eyes and smiled faintly.

_Yes, revenge is sweet._

"Mind handing me the sugared violets?" was all he said, however.

* * *

"Wow," Kagome breathed, taken by surprise, "What's all this for…?"

She didn't know what to think, didn't know whether she should be moved or should start panicking.

"Just welcoming you to the house," he replied nonchalantly, "Never did it properly when you first came."

"You didn't have to…" she whispered, overwhelmed by the sight of the entire patio covered in yellow daisies in full bloom.

It also looked like every scented candle in Shikamaru's possession had been lit and arranged in all the spaces the flowers didn't occupy, carefully positioned so that they wouldn't light any daisies on fire. The evening was not the least bit dark thanks to the tiny dancing flames, nor were the smells overpowering due to the gentle spring breeze that ruffled their hair and neutralized the fragrance by tenderly lifting it away from the house.

"You'll be happy to know I cooked outside," he commented wryly, pushing her chair in for her after she sat down at the table, "No need to burn the house, now."

She giggled as she was served roasted garlic mashed potatoes and a generously peppered chicken steak from the pot and platter in the center.

"There's plenty more," he told her, secretly smirking as he poured the some of the extra black pepper chicken steak's sauce on his portion and picked a couple more cloves of garlic to further mash into his potatoes.

A sugared violet topped custard sat harmlessly to their side.

* * *

On the other side of town, Inuyasha was sneezing and gagging himself to an early grave, cursing his ultra sensitive nose vehemently.


	3. Milk

**Disclaimer**: I do not, nor claim to, own the characters of Inuyasha or Naruto. This fanfic does not earn me any monetary profit or recognition. It was written for the simple purpose of entertainment.

**A/N**: Hey everyone! For better or for worse, Onions has become a full-blown story thanks to all you lovely readers and reviewers (read as: L loves your attention X3). Unfortunately, however, since I hadn't meant for this story to exceed the original chapter, updates will be sporadic until inspiration and leisure time hits. But please lend me your continual support! And you're all welcome to drop me ideas, if you want to share. Please Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Special thanks to: **Gothic Lust **(coughs-yes-coughs, and thank you, hee!), **Ayjah**, **hotshorty**, **Kurai Mori** (thank you so much for having done so, hopefully this update will reach you as well; glad you enjoyed the previous chapter, but because this story has suddenly become multi-chappied, the snapshots will no longer be in any semblance to chronological order, just random scenes that revolve around a central food-ish theme), **Ireina Kurotsuki** (most definitely!), **Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami **(hee! many thanks, I shall try), **LM Kitsune** (coughs-yes-coughs, but shhh, Inuyasha doesn't know that, ha!), **history-is-not-always-pretty** (why, thank you; the revenge was up for interpretation, but I meant for it to be the abuse on Inuyasha's nose; yes! the sugared violets... I wrote these snapshots around a central food-ish theme that I hoped conveyed feelings: onions for grief and sugared violets for denial; of course, these are also up for interpretation since the feelings do change between Shika and Kagome throughout the chappie and since what readers take away from reading is usually different than what I mean to convey; can you guess the significance of milk?), **Kagome Lady of Darkness** (thanks!), **.Simplicitas.** (thank you! you made me squee, hee; this chapter, personally, feels more intense than the last one since Kagome is dealing with aftermath, hopefully I won't put you out, she'll cheer up eventually), **4get me not** (thanks for reviewing again to tell me X3), **GoldenFoxGirl**,** yue no rei**,** Lovelywitch **(indeed!),** Shiroi** **no Yume** (I agree, I hate the smell of garlic...), **ihaveprobs** (glad I surprised you, X3).

L

**Milk**

Her first night there she had cried herself to sleep in the guest room, hoping against all hope the wall that separated her from Shikamaru's bedroom wasn't as thin as it looked. He brought her breakfast in bed the next morning with a tall glass of milk and when questioned how he managed to get up so early, he scowled.

"Don't get used to it."

But he still prepared her breakfast the next morning. And the morning after that.

* * *

"Come here! Help me try this!" Kagome called.

He trudged into the kitchen, still drowsy from his nap. He gave the ladle an experimental sniff.

"You made curry?"

She only smiled and lifted the scoop closer to his lips. Shikamaru took a small tentative taste…and swore loudly.

"Lee gave me the recipe," she commented amiably, stirring the contents of the pot while he chugged the entire carton of milk as if his life depended on it.

* * *

She couldn't sleep. Throwing off her covers, Kagome quietly slipped out of bed and headed towards the kitchen, padding past Shikamaru's room as soundlessly as she could. She'll just help herself to a glass of milk…

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise.

She wasn't sure whether her astonishment stemmed from Shikamaru being awake at this ungodly hour or his sliding a mug of steamed milk across the table to her the moment she sat down opposite him. As if he had expected her. As if he knew that there was a lot she needed to get off her chest.

* * *

The first thing he heard when he awoke in the medic building was the clink of a glass. After he blearily opened his eyes, he saw Kagome approach his bedside upon noticing he was no longer unconscious. She helped him sit up, minding his sling, and pushed a glass of milk into his other hand.

"If you would have listened to your own advice about getting your daily calcium, you wouldn't have broken your arm so easily on your mission," she joked weakly.

Shikamaru drank slowly, wondering how long he had been asleep. The slight shadows under Kagome's eyes were unnerving.

* * *

"Just in time!"

Curious, Shikamaru poked his head into the kitchen, following Kagome's voice.

"In time for what?"

She withdrew a tray of cookies from the oven and set them on the counter, fanning the smell of the freshly baked treats towards him until it hit him like an oncoming train.

"So no excuses!" she scolded "If you want cookies, go get a glass of milk!"

Shikamaru made a face.

"Say, when the hell did I invite my mother to live with me?"

* * *

This was awkward.

"Um, how's it going…Kagome?"

She stretched a hand behind her back to play with the longest strands of her raven black hair, twisting them nervously.

"F-fine."

Damn, she wasn't ready for this. Inuyasha, at least, had the decency to look guilty.

"I, ah, you know, it wasn't you, I just, you see—" he started uncomfortably, feeling he ought to apologize somehow since there was obviously no way to justify his actions, yet unsure how to, not entirely convinced he was completely at fault for having grown bored with their relationship.

He grabbed the carton of milk she had been reaching for before they had caught sight of each other and handed it to her. She ignored the gesture.

"Forget it," she said flatly and left without purchasing the milk she had meant to.

* * *

She was suffering from insomnia, she was sure of it. She held her breath as she crept towards the kitchen, more out of habit now than actual necessity, seeing as Shikamaru somehow managed to once again predict her bout of sleeplessness. At first she didn't understand why he pushed a cup of yogurt towards her, but she remembered soon enough.

"Sorry, I didn't get the milk."

He shrugged, studying her defeated form from under half-lidded eyes.

"I don't usually drink it anyway."

* * *

"So…the daisies didn't work and now you're going to drug her," Ino stated in a monotone.

Shikamaru groaned. He should have known better than to ask for her help.

"Yes, knocking her out for a couple of days will do me real good after she wakes up," he drawled sarcastically.

The blonde puffed out her cheeks in annoyance.

"What's the real reason behind this?"

She continued boiling the herbs in silence, waiting for his answer. Only when she began to delicately strain the leaves from the amber liquid did he choose to speak.

"She hasn't slept properly since she got here."

_Judging by the looks of it, you haven't either,_ Ino mentally inserted.

"It's pretty potent stuff," she said, pouring the tea into a large cup, "Don't forget to add some milk to dilute the taste."

She glanced to make sure he heard her and found him slumped over the counter, fast asleep.

* * *

"It's milk tea, to help calm your nerves," he lied smoothly in response to the question in her eyes.

Kagome accepted the explanation without protest; if her trusting nature made him feel a twinge of guilt for consciously deceiving her, he shoved it from his features to sulk on later.

"What's on your mind?" he inquired after she finished.

She spoke vaguely as if ashamed of her piling her troubles onto him, periodically urging him to go to sleep while she poured out the thoughts that have been plaguing her, bit by bit, like every other night. Shikamaru listened intently, never once betraying the feelings her words aroused.

"Ah…" Kagome shook her head in an attempt to clear her vision and to stop the room from spinning, "I don't feel so well all of a sudden…"

Shikamaru gave her head an encouraging pat as she relaxed, sliding forward onto the table, and her eyelids drooped increasingly lower. Her vision went black and she felt nothing but the permeating bliss of sleep.

* * *

When Kagome finally stirred, she was unaware of the amount of time that had passed. She was, however, quite certain that Shikamaru was nowhere near the house. With no little bafflement, she peeled the post-it that was stuck on her forehead and blinked at it groggily, unable to decipher the words that were scrawled across its surface until several long moments later.

Should she be concerned the hastily drawn arrow had looked like words to her?

Glancing towards the floor, her eyes slowly followed the trail of post-its, each with its own arrow, out the door. Trudging along it in a daze, the only thought that managed to register in Kagome's foggy awareness was _who in their right state of mind would make a path of post-its anyway?!_ She paused at the last slip of paper, which coincidentally was the one right outside her room, and let her lips curl up slightly in a lazy smile.

_I left you breakfast in the kitchen. Don't forget to drink the glass of milk in the refrigerator._


	4. Lemon

**Disclaimer**: I do not, nor claim to, own the characters of Inuyasha or Naruto. This fanfic does not earn me any monetary profit or recognition. It was written for the simple purpose of entertainment.

**A/N**: Hey everyone! It's been a while, but I believe I did warn everyone that I had no idea where I was going with this story. I'm sorry! I hope I haven't lost all of you, please continue giving me your support! Without further ado, please Read, Review, and Enjoy!

Special thanks to: **Ayjah** (yay, thank you!), **Gothic Lust** (cough-sorry, it's been over a year-cough well would you lookie here! I updated!), **4get me not** (I'm glad I made someone happy, don't know how happy you are that you had to wait this long for an update, but hopefully you are somewhat…? haha, anyways, yes, Kagome really should have known better. poor unsuspecting Shika XD), **MissyRee **(sorry, I'm aware I'm neglecting the periods but it won't let me save with them, your name kept vanishing! anyways, haha, I don't drink milk =3 I won't die if I don't drink milk XD anyways, curry and Lee was my personal favorite too, thanks for reviewing!), **Ireina Kurotsuki** (POST-ITs! I'm a post-it person =3), **Natsumi Tsuchi-Ookami** (haha, _I_ don't even know what the next themes will be XD any suggestions?), **Kurai Mori** (thank you so much for your support! =D I'm totally giddy. and yes, doesn't every girl want a guy that will drug them?! XD sadly, I don't even know what the next theme will be, I mean, see how long it took to…generate…this? but I welcome suggestions!), **R ii N G o K ii T S U N e** (yes, yes he is), **ihaveprobs** (yeah, I mourn his fictional-ness too. thank you, I'm trying to keep him in character, hope I've been successful thus far. and SISTERS! I WON'T DIE IF I DON'T DRINK MILK. I'm more of a soy girl myself =3), **shippo ayame kiryuu kuran** (forgive me but um…which guy? if you're referring to the wayward boyfriend, that would be Inuyasha. I have something of a bias against him, haha), **Kagome Lady of Darkness** (thanks!), **angel19872006** (haha, I don't even know what will happen in the end), and last but not least **Pissed Off Irish Chick** (thanks!).

L

**Lemon**

"Man you're an angry drunk," Shikamaru griped as he readjusted the weight (that was _thrashing like there was no tomorrow_, seriously what the hell is she doing?!) on his shoulder.

He tilted his head to avoid the empty bottle of lemon vodka that would have shattered against his skull.

"No," she giggled and screamed at the top of her lungs (right into his ear, mind you); "I'm the extremely happy kind!"

He winced and muttered, "Yeah…trigger-happy," tossing her into the air to avoid a knee in the face and catching her when she's again reduced to a mass of bubbly laughter.

* * *

Her eyes watered and her breathing became labored.

"Spit it out already!" Shikamaru commanded, frantically squeezing her cheeks to make her open her mouth.

Her voice was muffled when she spoke (at least, he hoped she spoke and wasn't in fact choking) and after several seconds of rapid chewing, she swallowed and gasped for air.

"What do you think? Best lemon you ever tasted right?" the grocer asked proudly.

Kagome made a face and Shikamaru steered her promptly away when the grocer started to peel another of the citrusy fruits for her to sample.

"But I want to buy some!" she wheezed as he pushed her forward.

"WHY," he ground out, hands on her shoulders to keep her in front of him (in his line of sight where she can't run away to accept everything people try to sell her).

"They're really sour, but I think they'll go really well with the beef stir-fry we're having tonight."

If anything, her words made him redouble his efforts to lead her to another section of the market (her stomach can thank him later).

* * *

"Just hold your nose and drink it!" Kagome snapped, shoving the steaming mug towards him.

"I said I'll drink it later!" Shikamaru roared back, pushing it away.

"NO YOU WON'T!" the young woman screeched and practically leaped on top of him (how she didn't spill the cup's contents, he will never know; she has more balance than a kunoichi, he swears it).

Kagome tried to force the scalding concoction into his mouth but he kept his lips tightly pursed and turned away.

"Stop acting like it'll kill you; it's just tea, with honey and lemon!"

"'JUST' she says," mocked the shinobi, "Knowing you, there'll be cayenne pepper and butter somewhere in there too."

"But it'll help you recover! Do you like being sick?!" she protested and his eyes bulged at her confirmation (he struggled even harder to escape from under her).

* * *

"So…how's it going?"

Shikamaru didn't like her tone of voice and shied away warily.

She grinned smugly, like a predator that knew its prey was cornered, and drummed her fingers against the counter.

"Well…?"

"Everything's good," he said carefully.

"Uh-huh," the blonde deadpanned and studied him suspiciously, "It's her birthday and you forgot, didn't you?"

"What are you talking about?!" he demanded, glaring defensively.

"My bad," Ino smirked, "you just finally realized that yellow scarf you bought her yesterday would make her look like a moldy lemon, right? Especially with her skin tone, she'll practically _glow_. I trust you haven't given it to her yet?"

"Stalking now, are we?" he asked with narrowed eyes.

The glee in her demeanor was unmistakable.

"Well, if you would've introduced us…but whatever. I'll meet her soon enough. No helping it, seems like I'll have to save your sorry behind again," she sighed grandly, shrugging out of her apron, "Don't worry, I will fix _everything_."

"I don't need your—"

"And in exchange, you will of course tell me _everything_ that you've been keeping secret from our poor, unsuspecting village," she continued brightly, grabbing her purse.

"Like hell I would—"

"So that yours truly can, of course, be the first to know and spread your joy to all our friends as we patiently await your little super babies," she practically sang, dragging a gaping Shikamaru out the door, "We deserve to know if the village will be overrun by your genius spawn. You see, we need to start saving if we are going to spoil them silly behind your back."

"Super babies?!" he sputtered, digging his heels into the ground, "What are you—"

"Keeping some innocent girl drugged and confined to your home? I expected better of you, but I've always wanted to be a godmother," Ino chirped, inwardly exploding from mirth at the expression on her friend's face.

"We're just friends!" he growled.

"Sure you are," she acquiesced though she clearly still believed otherwise.

_Never again_, he swore, _don't ask for her help ever again. Ever._

* * *

Kagome's eyes widened.

"I hate you," she wailed.

"Of course you do," Shikamaru waved the comment off absentmindedly, circling some wrong answers on the exam he was grading with a thick red marker.

Kagome continued whining from the kitchen, perched atop three chairs situated precariously on the counter as she failed (repeatedly) to reach the (lemon-pulp-splattered) ceiling with her washcloth.

"Who makes lemonade with a blender anyway?! And _why_'_d_ you have to forget to put the top on?!"

* * *

His mom somehow (_Ino_, he thought viciously) learned of Kagome living with him and he received an earful about respecting a woman and her privacy (and "why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?! Nara Shikamaru, what have you been doing?! I thought we raised you better! If I have to hear about my grandchildren from weeping in-laws I swear I'll have your head! Wait, you two didn't elope already, did you?!" It took three hours, two pots of tea, four angry neighbors, and a _very_ hoarse throat from screaming to convince her that "We're just friends, you troublesome woman! Why the hell won't you ever listen to me?!" Which, of course, set her off again: "Is that any way to speak to your mother?! And I'd listen if you would stop keeping things from me! What kind of son are you?!").

"ESPECIALLY," she'd exclaimed, red-faced and out of breath after having gone (way) off tangent in her discussion with Shikamaru, "when she feels particularly bad every month."

Shikamaru glowered and had almost succeeded in walking away with an "I _get_ it already, how old do you think I am?!" when a hand from behind clenched around his collar to stop him, nearly cutting off his air supply in the process.

"Why don't you try it then?" she asked, voice oddly sweet and the young man thought she seriously might kill him then, "You'll understand how much we put up with."

He was utterly unprepared (prepared to have a finger chopped off maybe, but this? no). The shinobi inspected the package in his hand, filled to the brim and near bursting with withered brown strips of…something, lightly dusted with sugar.

"Candied lemon peels," Yoshino informed him matter-of-factly, piling a couple more bags into his hands, "I made your father do this too, back in our days."

That in itself rather scared Shikamaru but no amount of resistance could get her to take the blasted things back.

"You haven't had lunch yet, right? You're on an empty stomach? Good. Finish all this off by tonight. You can't eat anything else!" his mother paused and smiled (he shivered), "I'll know if you cheat on this, you hear?"

She sent him off with an "Invite her over here for tea sometime!" and a mouthful of the dried citrus.

("What were you thinking?!" Kagome scolded that night, rubbing a warm soothing hand in gentle circles against the lower back of her friend, who was curled into a rather pathetic ball in her lap, "You could have burnt a hole through your stomach!"

_Old witch_, thought Shikmaru as he gulped down whatever Kagome placed by his lips, feeling like he might vomit all over the floor at any given second and jerking when a particularly painful jolt spiked through his abdomen.)

* * *

There's lemon meringue pie for dessert but when Shikamaru asked if she'd made it, she said she didn't.

Not from scratch, anyway (she'd bought the crust, but did the rest herself).

And while he's not completely satisfied with the answer, he'll accept it for now and smiled at her as he patted her head (ignoring the indignant pout she flashed up at him).


End file.
